Painting a Viper

[jacklake2003]

I have a Viper which I'm preparing to paint. I've sanded and filled the bottom side and am currently sanding the topside. My question is, what is the best products (primer and Paint) for a DIYer.
Thanks,

[Riverman]

I used Duratec vinylester primer and it worked very well. I did gelcoat not paint, I'm not sure if it will work for paint - I'll find out.


EDIT: Yes it is good for paint, it says so on page 6 below:

http://www.duratec1.com/Application_Guides/ag8.pdf

[oldskier]

I used epoxy (Interlux) primer and Imron on mine. The gelcoat is a REAL hard durable finish but harder to color sand, so I hear. I am real pleased with the durability of the Imron.

[77viper]

Did you guys have spider cracks on the deck? I have so many that our body guy at work said to use a thick primer and hope for the best, although he only does our minor touch up work and also said he wouldn't be interested in painting the boat for me.

[jacklake2003]

Thanks for the advise. I have been reading about Duratec and it looks like a pretty good product. I will be spraying the color myself, so I don't think I should use Imron. Isn't that the paint that requires supplied air respirators?

I am also curious about what "77Viper" asked. Mine too has tons of spider cracks in the gel. Is the Duratec tough enough to prevent reappearing of the spider cracks through the finished paint?

Thanks a lot!
Chris

[oldskier]

I sprayed mine outdoors without a respirator and I'm allr...cough...choke....sputter...alright.

I used a die grinder on the worst 700 miles of spider cracks then filled them with vinylester filler and just shot the epoxy primer over the others...I had to use epoxy filler on some of the ones that I didn't grind out because it looked as if there was some wax in the cracks and the primer just pulled away from them and they showed up just like the paint was never shot over them.....they're a PAIN. If you don't grind them, i would at least scratch through them with a sharp blade to try and get any wax buildup out of 'em and then fill with a fiberglass filler. I used 3M Premium Marine vinylester filler on the gel, then after the primer i used epoxy filler.

[Riverman]

Spider cracks are either a symptom of flexing or impact. Check to see if there is broken structure behind.

[jacklake2003]

Well, they may not be spider cracks than. They're pretty much over the entire topside. They almost look like "mud cracks". It's as if the entire metalflake finish shrank and cracked.

[oldskier]

Spider cracks are either a symptom of flexing or impact. Check to see if there is broken structure behind.

Yup.If you grind them and find white lines in the glass underneath, a layer of 1 1/2 oz. mat over the area will take care of the little stuff. If it's an obvious structural crack (not a flex crack, real damage) cut it out an fix it.

[oldskier]

Well, they may not be spider cracks than. They're pretty much over the entire topside. They almost look like "mud cracks". It's as if the entire metalflake finish shrank and cracked.

Mine was like that to a point. I think it is the gel drying out with age as well as expansion and contraction due to heating and cooling from exposure to the sun over the years. Most of it (the fine spider cracks), i just sanded deep and covered with a thin layer of vinylester filler. They haven't reappeared yet...